Megan Rapinoe announced her plans to retire from professional soccer at the end of the 2023 season.Photo:Robert Mora/USSF/Getty
Robert Mora/USSF/Getty
Megan Rapinoeis hanging up her cleats.
The legendary forward, 38, announced that she will be retiring from professional soccer following the conclusion of the 2023 National Women’s Soccer League season.
Rapinoe broke the news during a press conference ahead of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team’s match against Wales.
“This is going to be my last season, my last World Cup and my last NWSL season,” she told reporters. “Obviously there will be more to come further down the road after hopefully we get done what we want to get done.”
The athlete, who has been a member of the U.S. team since 2006, continued, “I could have just never imagined where this beautiful game would’ve taken me. I feel so honored to be able to have represented this country and this federation for so many years. It’s truly been the greatest thing that I’ve ever done.”
She also expressed gratitude for being able to go out on her own terms — something she said is “incredibly rare for athletes of any stature.”
Megan Rapinoe will retire from professional soccer at end of the 2023 National Women’s Soccer League season.Ronald Martinez/Getty
Ronald Martinez/Getty
She has also made a name for herself off the field. The soon-to-be-retired player is well-known for her social justice efforts, which includeadvocating for LGBTQ rights,working to eliminate the gender pay gapandkneeling in protest against police brutality.
In 2019,she was namedSports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Yearand last year, she became the first soccer player toreceive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Rapinoe also shared an official statement regarding her retirement withU.S. Soccer.
“I’ve been able to have such an incredible career, and this game has brought me all over the world and allowed me to meet so many amazing people,” she said in the statement. “I feel incredibly grateful to have played as long as I have, to be as successful as we’ve been, and to have been a part of a generation of players who undoubtedly left the game better than they found it. To be able to play one last World Cup and one last NWSL season and go out on my own terms is incredibly special."
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source: people.com
